Adjustable oil well counterbalance



June '1931- A. L. SEGELHORST ET AL 1,803,010

ADJUSTABLE OIL WELL COUNTERBALANCE I L Filed April 15, 1929 INVENTOR. fiuyms L, Se e/ha/zsi Oscar flick/a? ZZM Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE license. 1.. snennnons'r 9ND oscAn sTnIcKLIN, or IIUNrINe'roN BnAotI, CALIFORNIA ADJUSTABLE OIL WELL COUNTERZBALANOE Application filed April 15,

This invention relates to a power transmitting device in which rotary motion is converted to reciprocating motion and relates more particularly to oil well pumps in which it is necessary for the most eflicient operation of the pump to counterbalance the weight of the sucker rods. This device has been produced primarily for use in connection with pumps embodying a. walking beam, a pitman, ii a crank and a band wheel.

Various means are in use at the present time for counterbalancing the weight of the sucker rods. In such a pumping organization the most common form of counterbalance comprises an extension on the walking beam and a weight suspended from the extension, the extension of course being on the end opposite to the end from which the sucker rod is suspended. v

Various attempts have also been made to counterbalance the pumps by attaching a weight directly to one side of the band wheel. Such counterbalances are however attended by certain undesirable features, chief among which is the difficulty experienced in detaching the counterbalance in the event the band wheel is to be used'for the purpose of'driving the sand reel in which a continuous rotating motion is desired without the reciprocation of the walln'ng beam.

It is a primary object of this invention to develop a counterbalance which may be mounted directly upon the band wheel drive shaft and which may optionally be disconnected from the shaft so as to permit relative rotation between the drive shaft and the counterbalance.

Another undesirable feature attending the um of a counterbalance upon the band wheel resides in the bending stress which the increased weight of the band wheel produces in the shaft. It is therefore a further object of this invention to produce an organization which is so constructed that the weight of the counterbalance is transmitted directly to a bearing surface, eliminating the possibility of developing a bending moment in the drive shaft.

It is a further object of this invention to produce a novel form of key or clutch mecha- 19'29. Serial'No. 355,083.

nism which is particularly adapted for use in combination with a mechanism of this character.

The details in the construction of this invention together with further objects attending its production will be better understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings in which I Fig. 1 is an elevational view showing apart of an oil well pumping organization embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view part ly in section showing details in the construction of our invention and may be considered as having been taken substantially in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a partial sectional elevation taken substantially in the plane represented by the line 33 in Fig. 2. Fig. t is a sectional elevation which may be considered as having been taken substantially in a. plane represented by the line 414 in Fig. 2.

F g. 5 is an enlarged elevational view partially in section showing a preferred form of clutch or key organization which may be employed in combination with the invention.

More particularly describing the inven tion as herein. illustrated with particular reference to Fig. 1, numeral 11 indicates the band wheel of an oil well pumping organization which is mounted upon a crank shaft 12 otherwise known as a main drive shaft which is supported by jack posts 13 and 13. The band wheel 11 and the crankshaft 12 are adapted to receive rotation from a belt 14.

The outer end of the shaft 12 carries a crank 15 which is connected with a pitman 16, the upper end ofwhich is attached to a walking beam 17. The end of'shaft 12 which is opposite the crank 15, is illustrated as being provided with a sprocket wheel 19, (Fig.

2) which is adapted to cooperate with a V sprocket chain 20 for imparting rotation to a calf wheel indicated at 21 and the sprocket wheel 19 is provided with aclutch organization generally indicated at 22 by means of which the wheel19 is brought into and out of rotative engagement with the'shaft 12.

The above described construction, which is be noted that the crank 15 is illustrated as being formed upon a flange which is made integral with a sleeve 26 adapted to receive the shaft 12 and to be supported by a suitable bearing27. The inner extending portion of the sleeve 26 is adapted to support what may be termed a counterbalance collar 28 which may be retained upon the sleeve by means of a key or transverse pin 29 and may be held in spaced relation with the band wheel by means i of an adjustable collar 30.

The counterbalance collar 28 is provided with counterbalance supporting means illustrated as being in the form of two extending bolts 31 which are mounted in parallel relation with the crank 15. Those bolts which form a counterbalance arm are adapted to receive a plurality of counterbalancing segments 32 which may be used with spacing members 33 to adjust the counterbalance for any weight which may be encountered in the use o-f-such a. counterbalance.

In order that the shaft 12 may be rotated independently of the crank 15 and the counterbalancing collar 28 at such times as the shaft may be used for driving the sprocket wheel 19, a novel key organization generally indicated at 33 is provided between the shaft 12 and the sleeve 26.

The details in this key organization are perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein it will be noted that the collar 25 and the sleeve 26 are provided with a recess 34 which corresponds with a flattened surface 35 formed upon the outer end of the shaft 12 to receive a key member 36.

This key member is wedge shaped and is provided with a longitudinally extending passage 39 which receives a rotatable pin 40, the inner end of which is provided with a collar 41 and threads 42. V

The sleeve 26 is provided with a threaded hole or recess 43 which receives the threaded end 42 of the pin 39 for the purpose of advancing the wedge key 36 between the sleeve and the shaft. 7 n

The outer end of the pin 39 is provided with a socket head 44 by means of which the key 36 may be adjusted. v

It will be apparent from the above de scription that this invention embodies a counterbalance assembly of simple form and construction which may readily be adjusted to accommodate any weightofsucker rods. It may be easily installed and isso constructed as to facilitate the operation of the band wheel independently from the crank and counterbalance, and by simply removing the pin 29, the crank may be rotated independently and the counterbalance will remain idle.

Although we have herein described and illustrated one preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes within its scope whatever changes fairly come within the spirit of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. For use in combination with a power transmitting organization: a rotatable shaft; a sleeve on said shaft; means for rigidly connecting said sleeve with said shaft; a crank on one end of said sleeve; and a counterbalance on the opposite end of said sleeve in fixed relation with said crank.

2. For use in combination with a power transmitting organization: a rotatable shaft; a sleeve on said shaft; means for rigidly connecting said sleeve with said shaft; a crank on said sleeve; and a counterbalance on said sleeve in fixed relation with said crank, said counterbalance member comprising a radially extending arm and weight segments adj ustably mounted on said arm.

3. For use in combination with a power transmitting organization: a rotatable shaft; a sleeveon said shaft; means for optionally connecting or disconnecting said sleeve from said shaft; a crank on said sleeve; and a counterbalance on said sleeve in fiXed relation with said crank.

4. For use in combination with a power transmitting organization: a rotatable shaft; a sleeve on said shaft; a crank on saidsleeve; a counterbalance on said sleeve in fixed relation with said crank; andclutch means for optionally connecting or disconnecting said sleeve from said shaft, said clutch means com-; prising a wedge member adapted to be received between cooperatively formed surfaces on said shaft and in said sleeve and means for moving said wedge.

- 5. For use in combination witha power transmitting organization: a rotatable shaft; a sleeve on said shaft; means for rigidly connecting said sleeve with said shaft; a crank on said sleeve; a counterbalance on said sleeve in fixed relation with said crank; and a bear ing supporting said sleeve, said crank and said counterbalance being positioned adjacent opposite sides of said bearing.

In testimony whereof, wehave hereunto set our hands at Los Angeles, California, this 3rd day of April, 1929.

AUGUST L. SEGELHORST. OSCAR STRICKLIN. 

